Utah's National Parks. Ron Adkison
delightful haunts for hikers, but their presence promotes the diversity of plant and animal life.
Elevations in the Park range from 3666 feet to 8740 feet, so a wide range of vegetation is represented. A life zone contains the plant communities that are typically found within its range of elevation and precipitation. For example, the Transition Life Zone in Zion contains the ponderosa-pine and mountain-brush plant communities, and occasionally members of the fir and aspen communities as well. Life zones often overlap altitudinally because particular combinations of soil cover, and exposure to sunlight, create microclimates here and there. Within the altitudinal range of the Park, plant communities range from sparse desert shrubs to cool forests of pine, fir and aspen. Blackbrush, yucca, and various species of cacti, mostly prickly-pear and beavertail cactus, dominate the shrublands in the Lower Sonoran Zone.
The Upper Sonoran Zone is widespread on drier sites, mostly in the lower-to-mid-elevations of the Park. Singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper distinguish the pinyon-juniper woodland, and are the dominant tree species in this zone, well adapted to heat and drought. Two-needle pinyon and juniper dominate on mid-elevation slopes, and typical shrubs in this zone include buffaloberry, Utah serviceberry, squawbush, broom snakeweed, rabbitbrush, and shrub live oak. Littleleaf mountain mahogany, very similar in appearance to blackbrush, grows almost exclusively on slickrock in the upper limits of the zone. Gambel oak often mixes into the pinyon-juniper woodland, and it forms oak woodlands in wetter, protected sites in the canyons as well as extensive thickets atop the plateaus in the Transition Zone.
The Transition Zone is dominated by stands of ponderosa pine, frequently mixing with Gambel oak on the plateaus. Dominant shrubs here are greenleaf manzanita, alderleaf mountain mahogany, snowberry, and big sagebrush. Bigtooth maple is common in some areas, its foliage turning red or orange after the first autumn frosts. On well-drained sites, Rocky Mountain juniper is found mixing into the pine forests. Poorly drained sites on the plateaus contain mountain meadows, and even wetter sites have groves of quaking aspen.
The Canadian Zone is limited to well-watered slopes in the Park’s higher elevations, particularly near Lava Point and the buttes rising above the Kolob canyons. Ponderosa pine is present, but in lesser numbers than in the Transition Zone. The dominant tree here is white fir, while Douglas-fir occurs in the coolest, most protected sites. These trees are also found on sheltered sites far below on canyon walls where cooler microclimates prevail.
In most of the Park’s life zones, riparian vegetation occurs along streams, including the North Fork Virgin River, and in isolated patches along washes where water lies close to the surface. Fremont cottonwood is the dominant tree, and adding diversity to the riparian woodland are velvet ash, boxelder and netleaf hackberry.
Chipmunk
Hanging gardens, found growing on moist cliffs throughout Zion, are unusual sylvan oases in desert areas. Due to abundant seeps and springs, they are more widespread in Zion than in any other Utah national park. (For more about hanging gardens, see the “Plants and Animals” chapters for Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands.)
By late March or early April, an abundance of wildflowers bursts onto the scene, their colorful blossoms vying for the visitors’ attention with the colorful canyon walls. As spring changes to summer, more flowers bloom, but their colors are shortlived. Many early summer flowers fade as heat and dryness begin to dominate, and night-blooming flowers then begin to blossom.
Summer thunderstorms initiate Zion’s second most prolific blooming season. Even some spring flowers bloom again if summer rains are abundant. Yellow flowers seem to dominate the scene in late summer and fall.
A vast array of birds is found in Zion, representing 271 species, of which 125 remain year-round. Rufous-sided towhees, blue-gray gnatcatchers, and blackheaded grosbeaks are common denizens of forest habitats, while water ouzels, Say’s phoebes, great blue herons, and Calliope hummingbirds prefer an aquatic habitat. Roadrunners scurry across open desert, and golden eagles and red-tailed hawks soar on invisible air currents in search of prey. In the fall pinyon and scrub jays congregate in pinyon woodlands, feasting on pinyon nuts.
Reptiles are by far the most frequently encountered animals on Zion’s trails. These cold-blooded creatures are especially well-adapted to living in a semiarid environment. Of the 30 species of reptiles occurring in Zion, hikers will most commonly see the eastern fence lizard, likely doing “pushups” on a trailside boulder. Short-horned lizards and western skinks are also common.
Gopher snakes and whipsnakes are common in the drier areas, while the western garter snake prefers to stay close to water. The western rattlesnake is Zion’s only poisonous reptile, occurring in canyons and on dry slopes. They are rarely seen, however, and if given half a chance will usually slither away and hide.
Amphibians, of which only seven species occur in Zion, are infrequently seen, since they stay close to water sources and damp areas. Snails are an important part of Zion’s aquatic community. Most noteworthy is the Zion snail, a tiny invertebrate about the size of a pinhead. Endemic to Zion, this snail is found only along seeps and springs on the canyon walls of the Zion Narrows.
Fish inhabit many of Zion’s streams, including cutthroat trout and bluehead suckers. Fishing is poor, however, in the siltladen Virgin River.
Common Zion rodents are the desert cottontail, the pocket gopher, and the cliff chipmunk. The latter is particularly noticeable begging handouts from hikers in places such as Observation Point.
Fossil dinosaur track, Left Fork North Creek
One of the most common large mammals in Zion is the mule deer. They range from Zion Canyon to the plateaus. Rarely seen is their chief predator, the mountain lion. Occasionally, a Rocky Mountain elk wanders into the Park from the higher plateau to the north. Striped and spotted skunks, gray foxes, ringtails, mountain voles, and insect-eating bats also live in Zion, although most of them are seldom seen.
Finally, many hikers are well acquainted with the most abundant of life forms in the Park, insects. Mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and biting flies are real nuisances in spring and early summer and in some locations these annoying creatures persist well into autumn.
Interpretive Activities
Everyone’s first stop in Zion should be at the Visitor Center. Books, maps, backcountry permits for overnight hiking, weather reports, interpretive displays, and schedules of interpretive programs are available there. Park rangers on duty are veritable encyclopedias of information. Zion’s Visitor Center is the largest and most complete such facility in all of Utah’s national parks, and your experience in the Park will be greatly enriched by a stop.
During the peak tourist season, roughly from late March through early November, Visitor Center hours are 8 A.M.–9 P.M.. Winter hours are 8 A.M.–5 P.M. Evening programs at South Campground’s Amphitheater and naturalist programs at the Visitor Center are conducted from spring through fall. Children’s programs are conducted twice daily at the Nature Center, near the campground amphitheater, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Parents can leave their children here and enjoy a short hike in the canyon.
Ranger-guided hikes include Riverside Walk; up the Narrows to Orderville Canyon; Angels Landing; the Emerald Pools Trail to Middle Pool; the Watchman Trail; the Canyon Overlook Trail; and naturalists-choice hikes.
Springdale, Utah, located at the mouth of Zion Canyon just south of the Park’s south entrance, offers a full line of services for Park visitors. Hikers, however, are advised to come prepared, since there is little hiking equipment or backpack food available in town. Springdale has several motels, restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores. The communities of St. George, Hurricane, Kanab, and Cedar City also have a wide array of services and accommodations. Hospitals are located in St. George, Kanab, and Cedar City.
Campgrounds
The private Zion Canyon Campground, a short distance south of the South Entrance, offers a spacious, shady campground